Two volunteers and only one winner
by Tay-P
Summary: 'She startled when he felt his firm hand in her own, but didn't shrug from it. It was as alien feeling to be holding hands with one of her oldest friends – though she knew it wasn't in the romantic sense, it was still peculiar. She could feel the roughness, though he held onto her gently, could feel the calluses from their time hunting in the woods and could feel his strength.'
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note: Had this idea in my head for a long time and after writing a significant amount, I'm posting it on here and updating it weekly. Hope you like it as much as I have been writing it!**

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><p>They sat together, squeezed only slightly on the large stone that overlooked the large lake that was shimmering like diamonds from the sun. Not that they would know what diamonds looked like, but they enjoyed the effect never the less. The lake being their own secret place away from their district, somewhere where they could forget the starvation and desperation and just be.<p>

They had crossed paths whilst hunting in the prohibited woods, both forced out by devastation of losing their fathers from a mining accident and from there on they were inseparable. They became allies, hunting partners, friends then something even more.

"Do you get scared?" She asked picking at the long grass in front of her, knowing they would have to get back soon. Get bathed and ready for the reaping, it was a big day and her mother would be fretting.

"I used to, of course I did. Now, I don't know. I can't change anything can I? I guess I'm just waiting for it to happen, always waiting." He muttered, his handsome face turning stony, she admired his face for a long moment. They were extremely similar in looks, with their olive complexion, dark eyes and hair. People often joked that they were really siblings, and one of their parents had a lot of explaining to do.

"It's your last year." She finally quipped with a small smile.

"I'll still be waiting; it'll be Rory's first year next year. You still have two years Catnip." He said with a sigh.

"Thanks for reminding me." Katniss said wryly rolling her eyes. "You won't be called."

"Don't be so certain."

"How many times is your name put in?" She asked gently, waited as he shook his head. "Gale." She persisted.

"Forty two times." Gale murmured as she winced. "Here." He said, pulling out a small roll of bread.

"Oh!" Katniss breathed out, watching with a watering mouth as he pulled the bread apart. She took the piece he handed to her and put it to her nose, breathing deeply.

"Thank you." She murmured feeling only a little guilty that she wasn't sharing the bread with her mother and prim but looked to the nearly bursting game bag and felt better.

"Happy hunger games." Gale said raising his bread in salute.

"And may the odds be ever in your favour." She finished off in a lilting voice bumping her shoulder into his with a laugh.

It was painful having to try and console Prim once she had made it home. Her poor little sister was terrified, after all it was her first year. Even now after all of these years, it was difficult for herself too. Her mother also was stressed and immediately pushed her to the cloudy bath and helped her scrub the dirt and coal that seemed to lie on everything, from her skin

Time passed in a blur, like it always did and the young population of District twelve were gathered in front of the made up stage in the unusual sweltering early summer heat as the woman in bright garish colours warbled on about the deep meanings of the games and what a privilege it is to be a part of history.

Katniss looked to the male side and immediately found Gale, watched as he put a hand to his heart in mock gratitude before rolling his eyes.

"Lets begin!" The woman who introduced herself as Effie Trinket stated clapping her gloved hands. "Ladies first!"

All humour left her body in that instant and she watched with baited breathe as the woman tantalisingly waved her hand on top of the bowl before picking out the name. It was like everything was running in slow motion as the woman unfolded the small piece of paper and walked to the microphone.

"Primrose Everdeen." It was like being punched in the stomach. It was a thousand times worse than having her own name read out. She doubled over from the shock, her heart thundering in her chest. Little Prim, who couldn't and wouldn't hurt a fly. Katniss shook her head, she couldn't let it happen. Her eyes landed on Gale, saw the shock and the slow hot anger burn on his face, before little Prim walked down the aisle between them, her trembling hands flattening out the wrinkles from her shirt.

"No!" She screamed louder than she intended throwing herself in front of her little sister and pushing her backwards and away from the stage.

"I volunteer as tribute." She didn't know how, but she managed to get some control over her emotions, jutting her chin out defiantly as the woman stood shocked on the stage before beckoning her forward.

Prim screamed and cried, and it tore at her every being not being able to turn and go back to her, to comfort her. It would be okay though, she would live. Gale would help them survive, he'd trade her goats milk for food, bring them meat from the forest.

"Well, well, well. A volunteer! And what is your name young lady?" Effie asked with a bright smile.

"Katniss Everdeen." She said numbly, still hearing her sister's sobs.

"I bet my socks that was your sister, wasn't it?" She asked as Katniss nodded her head.

"Well how lovely! Well done to you!" Effie said earnestly clapping her hands, looking out to the crowd with a slow drooping smile, as no one else clapped. Instead everyone lifted their three fingers in salute, something that wasn't commonly done and Katniss felt her chest tighten at the gesture. Effie coughed lightly, not understanding the small district in front of her before sauntering over to the other bowl, making a real show over what slip of paper she would choose. It didn't matter to Katniss; she was slowly slinking into terror.

"Peeta Mellark!" The woman called out, and Katniss was sure that the world had something against her. She didn't know the boy, not well enough. But she owed him her life back when her father had died. He had given her bread; still warm from the oven no less. She looked to the crowed, saw the poor boys pale face – he was just a merchant boy after all, well fed with no experience of survival. There would be no winner from district twelve this year. Katniss watched as Peeta began walking toward the stage, his face full of fear.

"Stop!" Gale shouted out, a murmur rising from the crowds. Katniss too was shocked at the turn of events; Gale didn't know this merchant boy, not enough to stop the show. "I volunteer as tribute."

Just like that, when Katniss thought that nothing could get any worse. Everything did.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two:**

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><p>"No." Katniss murmured shaking her head. Effie was beside herself, having two volunteers from a district like twelve must be like Christmas for her and the Capitol citizens.<p>

"Well this is a turn of events! Come up young man!" She called brightly gesturing with such enthusiasm Katniss was sure the woman would fall out of her ridiculously high shoes.

Katniss watched as Gale walked purposely toward the stage and up the steps, nodding his head to her. "What are you doing?" She muttered, grabbing his wrist, suddenly so full of anger as he merely shook his head and shrugged his arm out of her hold.

"My, what a strapping young man you are!" Effie gushed and a quiet guffaw could be heard from the districts only Victor who sat with the Mayor. "Now tell me, why did you volunteer? The boy can't be your brother, you're nothing alike! Wait! Are you this young woman's brother? You positively look like twins!"

"No, I don't know Peeta. Katniss isn't my sister." Gale stated firmly.

"Oh, then something more? Where are my manners? What is your name young man?" Effie asked patting at Gales arm.

"My name is Gale Hawthorne." Gale replied trying to catch Katniss' eye but she adamantly refused to look at him, or look at anything other than the floor. Already she could hear the sobs of her mother, and Gale's mother. Who would keep them alive? Her angered worsened at the thought. He was so close to being free and now he volunteered and for what?

Who would look after their families now? They would never survive without them.

Time moved too quickly for Katniss to bear and already they were sent into the justice building to say their last goodbyes. She felt like she was suffocating, it was hard to believe that in a week, she would be put into the arena where her mother and Prim would watch her die.

She tried to regulate her breathing, worried that she would pass out and miss her chance to say goodbye to her family.

Prim and her mother came in together. Prim running into her arms and burying her face into Katniss' chest as their mother wrapped her arms around the both of them.

"Prim." Katniss managed to say though her throat felt like it was closing, she held onto her small sister's shoulders and looked squarely into her face. "You do not, and I repeat do not sign up for tesserae, it's not worth it. You sell your goats milk, and pick roots anything you can find – if you're not sure then you check the book." Katniss said urgently, referring to the book their father had given to them with pictures of edible plants. "Okay?"

"Okay." Prim said softly, her light blue eyes filling with tears.

"Good." Katniss said, nodding her head before pulling her younger sister into her arms again and hugging her tightly, willing the tears to stay away until she was in the safety of the train.

"Mom, you can't zone out again. If something happens to me, she will only have you." Katniss said turning her attention to their mother, a slither of anger working its way out of her as her mother meekly nodded her head.

"I won't Katniss."

"Good, because you can't! She needs you now." Katniss continued watching as her mothers face hardened.

"I won't Katniss, I said I won't. Just focus on coming home." Her mother said and the anger evaporated from her, leaving her breathless.

"Don't cry." Katniss said gathering her mother into her arms.

"Try to win." Prim murmured and it was obvious she was trying to hold her own tears back.

"I will little duck, I will try." But as she said this, she thought of Gale in the next room over making the same promise to his own family.

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><p>As soon as they were safely on the train and away from the prying eyes of the cameras, Katniss lunged at her once best friend, shoving at his chest as hard as she could. Of course he didn't budge, he towered over her slight frame easily but none the less he caught her wrists in his large hands and held onto her.<p>

"Hey, what are you doing?" He asked as Effie tutted at the pair.

"No fighting! I will have you both separated." Effie said with a disapproving nod of her head, as the lone victor of twelve, Haymitch Abernathy ambled past them, bottle in his hand and shaking his head.

"No need darling." He abolished Effie as she impatiently rolled her eyes and tottered away to the large cart full of such delicacies Katniss nearly forgot her anger.

"You going to tell me what's made you so angry?" Gale asked patiently which only worsened Katniss' mood.

"Really? Are you for real?" Katniss asked pulling her arms roughly out of his grasp.

"What? I thought you would be happy!" Gale stated his own anger flaring

"Why would I be happy Gale? There's only one victor! Who will look after our families? Who will feed them, make sure they don't starve? Damn you Gale. I had no choice but to volunteer! You didn't have to! I would have been happy for you to stay in twelve and make sure our families ate." The words came thick and furious and clogged her throat with emotion. Their imminent death playing in her mind.

"Leave me behind in twelve, where I will work in the mines six days out of the week and wait for an accident that will kill me?" She flinched at his words, a life which was their fathers until it was no more.

"Damn you Gale." Katniss murmured her eyes clouding with tears watching as his own face dropped.

"My, what a dramatic pair I got this year." Haymitch mumbled, his dirty feet propped against the lavish chair watching the couple with interest.

"Shut up!" Katniss snapped, infuriated as the man just laughed and raised a hand in surrender.

"We are going to die." She managed to say with a voice devoid of emotion.

"That's not true, you have my back and I'll have yours, like always." Gale stated firmly, grabbing her shoulders. Katniss managed to nod her head slightly before retreating backwards and out of his grasp.

"I need to go." She mumbled and he nodded his head, a grim look on his handsome face.

Katniss stumbled through the hallways until she found a room she would make her own, they were told they would only be spending one night on the train. She looked around the large beautiful room, the bed was huge and better than anything she had ever seen at home. Katniss crawled onto the bed, felt it as it dipped beneath her weight before dropping down with a contented sigh. The linen was soft and smelt fresh, she closed her eyes and thought of the injustice of it all.

Back at home her mother and Prim would be sharing a bed to keep each other warm, the mattress would be hard and lumpy but they would be comforting each other.

As soon as Gale and herself would arrive at the capitol they would be given three full days to train for the arena then they would have a televised interview with the other tributes before the big day of the games.

Katniss didn't know what she was going to do. Obviously she wouldn't and couldn't turn on Gale, but if something were to happen to him, it would destroy her. She couldn't get her head around the idea of why he had volunteered and she was still angry.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breathe and thought of her woods. Wishing she could be back there, sitting high in a tree with a bow in her hands. The longing of her woods and home made her ache, but the tears that threatened to spill all afternoon were long gone.

A knock on her door interrupted her musings and she scowled. "Who is it?" She called from her spot on the bed not wanting to move.

The door opened on its own violation and Katniss sighed wearily as Gale walked in.

"I had to try all of the doors before I found you, walked in on Effie taking her wig off." Gale murmured a hint of a smile playing on his lips before it disappeared completely. "You going to freeze me out Katniss? I don't want to spend this time with you angry at me, I can't change anything now."

"Why did you do it?" She asked eventually her chin jutting out with her temper.

"So I can protect you. Do you think it was easy for me? My family, my large family needs protecting too. But one of us can win, you know it. We can hunt, we hunt best when together. If one of us wins, then our family wins. They move to the Victors Village, a real house which will be warm when winter rolls in, they will have food. Our district will get monthly food parcels too. Don't you see Katniss? One of us can win." She felt her anger evaporate, saw the logic in his reasoning.

"One of us will die. Could you handle that? Could you kill someone, kill me? Because I couldn't. I can't kill a person Gale, especially not you." Gale was silent for a moment.

"We hunt all the time." He finally murmured.

"Animals Gale, not people." Katniss stated shaking her head. It had been a long day and it was taking its toll on her.

"If it means surviving then we will do it. We know how to survive best Catnip." Gale stated walking back through the door and closing it behind him without another word.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 :**

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><p>Katniss sulked in her room for a couple of hours, until the quiet rumbling of her stomach made her leave her confines in a search for food.<p>

She wandered back the way that she came and saw Effie, Haymitch and Gale sitting at a table.

"Oh Katniss, I was just about to call you." Effie stated cheerily patting at the seat beside her.

"Thanks." Katniss muttered awkwardly as Gale shot her a look and a small smile.

"We should reach the Capitol tomorrow by late afternoon. Oh you will just love it, its such a shame it's a short stay but nothing can be done. It'll be a big day for you tomorrow, people will be crowding to see your faces, already you both are quite popular what with your volunteering." Effie rambled happily nodding her head wisely.

"Great." Katniss muttered sarcastically and didn't miss Gales smirk. He hated the Capitol more than anyone that she knew.

"Manners!" Effie reprimanded with a sigh, turning to her food.

The food was unlike anything that Katniss or Gale had seen before; it certainly beat the food they would get from the Hob after trading their game. The food was rich and delicious, tastes that she had never experienced before and she found after a whole plate her stomach was twisting painfully not used to so much.

"Well you both certainly eat with manners, last year I had to witness the past tributes using their hands! I'm glad to see your district does own cutlery." Effie stated with a shake of her head. The anger Katniss felt in that moment was unlike anything she had felt before and one look at Gale and she knew he felt the same way.

She watched as he clenched his hands into fists before relaxing them, taking his empty plate, putting it to his face and licking it clean. Katniss immediately followed suit and began picking more food, although she certainly wasn't hungry, and began eating with her hands and with such gusto sauces began dribbling down her chin.

Effie put her hand to her mouth, made a small gurgling sound before excusing herself from the table, muttering under her breathe.

"You know that wasn't very nice." Haymitch stated, though a smirk was playing along his lips. "She's a capitol dunce. Like an annoying little fly, its best to ignore her. She doesn't know better."

Katniss wiped her chin with the back of her hand and shrugged her shoulders.

"Most kids don't even get a decent meal." Gale said folding his arms over his chest and leaning back as Haymitch raised his hands.

"I get it kid, I do. I'm from district twelve too you know?" He poured himself a drink and got to his feet. "Tomorrow, up early. We will strategise."

Katniss and Gale parted ways to their room. Katniss still needing time to think, Gale lost in his own thoughts, probably of his family.

Katniss tossed and turned in the comfortable bed, finding it too soft, too luxurious. She needed the sturdy mattress of her own bed to keep her grounded.

Katniss thought of her family, wondered how they had spent the rest of the day – how they would spend the rest of their days without her. She then thought of Gales family – How Hazel was coping with the boys and little posy, how were they going to eat? Gale must truly believe that one of them would win for him to leave his family like that, with only Hazel bringing in the small amount of money she earned.

Katniss was suddenly filled with a sense of urgency, sure she was terrified but Gale was right, they were good hunters, quiet and quick on their feet- they did stand a chance a slim one but maybe in training that would change.

With that thought, and a small blooming feeling of hope in her chest she fell into a fitful sleep.

That morning Katniss and Gale rose early – used to waking with the sun when they would hunt. They hadn't expected their drunk mentor to even be awake, but he was before they were and somewhat sober too.

"Tell me everything that you can do." He stated simply taking small sips from his flask and leaning casually.

"We hunt in the woods, so we can use a bow and arrow – Katniss is better and even knows how to make one from scratch, I can make snares." Gale shrugged as Katniss watched the exchange, watching as Haymitch nodded his head, raising his fist to rest on his chin.

"That's good. Really good. What about hand to hand combat?" At this both of them shook their head with a shrug, never needing to fight with their fists. "That's okay, that's something you can learn. What about throwing knives? Using a sword?" Again they shook their heads.

"Okay clearly you need to brush up on these skills when you get to training. Whatever you do, do not show your strengths. Not at all, do you hear me?"

"Why?" Katniss found herself asking.

"Oh she can speak." Haymitch muttered sarcastically as Katniss frowned. "Because I said so sweetheart. At the end of training you show your strengths to the game makers where they will give you a score, do it then okay?"

Katniss nodded her head and folded her arms like a petulant child.

"Now we need to figure out your game plan."

"We stick together." Gale stated simply as Haymitch shook his own head and took a long swig from his flask.

"Until the bitter end? Kill the other person? I somehow don't think either of you are up for it." The silence spoke for them and Haymitch nodded his head with a grim smile. "Thought as much. So here's what you will do; you'll go in together as allies, because you both stand a better chance together, kill off as many of the other tributes as you can and if you are both lucky enough to get even remotely close to the end – you split up. But then that's it okay? You don't help each other any more. There will be only one winner."

At that Haymitch got to his feet, took one long swig from his flask and quietly left the room, leaving Katniss and Gale to look to each other in unease.

"We need to make a promise Katniss." Katniss realised just how serious he was by the usage of her actual name and not the nickname she was so used to hearing. Katniss nodded her head slowly.

"When we get in there, we are a team like always. But, we have to save ourselves too. If we get outnumbered- then one of us has to get away. Our families have to win. When it gets hard, we have to remember that, okay?" Gale stated urgently, leaning forward and grabbing her shoulders with a bruising grip.

"Okay Gale, I know." Katniss said with a sure nod.

"Promise me. Promise me, that you will to try to win. That you will leave me if you have to, or at least do it quick for me." At this Katniss found it hard to breathe, she too of course would want Gale to kill her quickly, if the intent from the other tributes was a painful slow death – but could she kill him?

"Katniss." He shook her gently looking into her wide frightened eyes.

"I promise." She managed to say with a strong voice as he nodded his head and repeated it back to her.

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><p>They made it quickly and without incident to the holding centre where they would have to stay for their remaining days before the arena. Many people were at the train station, all people from the capitol looking ridiculous in luminous colours and sparkling costumes. Calling out their names as they stepped off the train, some were crying fabulously and waving gloved hands, others were blowing them kisses. Katniss and Gale remained stoic, even as Effie prodded them with a wide smile, telling them to smile and wave. They both knew they would have to pander to the audience as to make sure they were well liked, to get sponsors. But at the last minute they ditched their smiles, and looked passively into the crowd of well fed people. Appearing bored and as if these Capitol people, the highest of the high were well beneath their coal stained feet.<p>

When they made it to the building they would be calling home, and watched the televised previews of the other tributes arriving- they found out their impassiveness worked in their favour- though they never meant for it to be. Instead of being insulted by their flippant attitude, the capitol people loved it. Loved them. The dark and dangerous couple from District twelve they were soon labelled.

There was many speculation over whether they were a couple, were related or even both, and it only made Katniss and Gale's distaste for them deepen. Even though Gale had said himself at the reaping that they were not related- the Capitol people chose to ignore it. To believe in whatever sick fantasy they wanted to instead.

Katniss and Gale ate as much as they could whenever they could, knew they would be working hard in the training area and needed to store the extra weight. They took the Games as seriously as the Careers from District one and two would.

When the morning of the first training day came, they were escorted down by Effie who had apparently forgiven them for the rudeness over dinner, and were just ecstatic that her tributes were gaining favour, which in turn was gaining her favour. They just did what Haymitch had told them to do, which was to ignore the woman and her mindless rambling.

"Remember what Haymitch told us. We'll split up for this, but don't be too far away – learn as much as we possibly can in all fields." Katniss muttered before they entered, watched as Gale nodded his head, his jaw clenched.

The day past by slowly, the other tributes were mostly too scared and nervous to be threatening, apart from of course – the career pack. They gathered immediately to one and another already forming their group and Katniss witnessed more than once as they tried to recruit Gale.

Katniss worked quietly and kept her head down, kept far away from the bow and arrow though her hands itched to use them. She often watched Gale, watched as he effortlessly threw heavy balls and scaled roped walls, she could see why the Careers wanted him.

Katniss also noticed the younger tributes and it made her stomach coil, one little girl in particular caught her attention what with her soft brown eyes and tiny stature, she often stood on her tiptoes just slightly bent forward like a little bird about to take flight. There was nothing more in that moment than her hatred for the Capitol that consumed her and made her want to win these Games just so she could laugh in their faces. That yes, a girl from an outlining district could win.

The days passed by in the same way, Gale and Katniss kept to themselves but would separate in the training area learning and working as hard as they could.

Their bodies in the small amount of time began filling out and gaining muscle – together they did look quite the pair. Nothing compared to the Careers, but to the other districts – they were a force to be reckoned with.

Within no time it was time to show their hidden skills to the group of Game makers, Katniss knew her skill would be the bow and arrow and wondered what Gales would be; probably the same, but she had noticed he had become quite skilled with the small throwing knives and often watched as it went soaring and repeatedly hit the target he was aiming for – they were bound to be impressed by that.

Katniss introduced herself, watched as half the game makers conversed with each other and barely looked her way. It didn't deter her though, she went straight to the bow and arrow, felt the unnatural weight; so different to the one she was used to at home and fired off half a dozen arrows each hitting their mark with precise accuracy. When she noticed that most of the game makers hadn't even watched her performance she acted without thought, full of intense anger. She noticed three new targets; a ridiculous hat perched on top of the head of a flamboyant male, a pig on the middle of the massive banquet table with an apple in its mouth, and the pig's eye. Without even pausing to think or to catch her breath, she fired off her three bows in quick succession, felt the pride when they hit their mark and heard the terrified scream. She took a small bow and threw the metal equipment to the ground.

When she had told Effie and Haymitch what happened, the tension in the room had risen to an unbearable amount. Effie promptly burst into tears and rushed from the room, whilst Haymitch was in shock – stuck between pride and anger. Gale was worried, but managed a chuckle, giving a small shrug and amending that nothing could be done now.

As they all watched the announcement for the scores, the room was unbearably quiet, a lot of the tributes got expected scores, One and Two – getting the highest, whilst the outer Districts were getting average. Gale received an eight, which he was proud of not that he would have said. The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife as they waited for Katniss' score to appear, no one applauded when they saw it, no one said anything – she got the highest score out of everyone. A ten.

Haymitch got to his feet heaving a loud sigh. "Well done sweetheart, you're officially every ones target."

Everyone quickly left the room, leaving Katniss and Gale alone.

"What have I done?" Katniss asked him quietly as he gave her a small sad smile.

"I got your back, Catnip. Always." Gale stated sincerely as she rested her head on his shoulder.

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><p>The evening before the big interview, Katniss met her stylist. A handsome younger man from the capitol, though she would never had guessed. The only thing that screamed Capitol was his gold eyeliner and the three earrings in his ears.<p>

"You're beautiful." He murmured as soon as he had seen her, sweeping her into his arms and squeezing her gently, no false Capitol greeting or air kisses.

"Thank you." She said softly, knowing he was being genuine. He pulled back and quickly assessed her and circling her, introducing himself as Cinna.

"I have come up with the perfect outfit for you and Gale, as soon as I saw you both volunteering – I just knew." Cinna stated with a firm nod of his head.

"We won't be covered in soot will we?" Katniss asked meekly, remembering the past tributes she had seen watching as Cinna laughed heartily and shook his head.

Before the big interview it was decided that the tributes would be paraded around by horse and chariot, as the people of Panem watched and cheered for their favourite. Then they would be interviewed by Ceaser Flickerman which would be televised, and watched by their families.

Katniss was nervous, and was sure Gale was too. Though it didn't matter, they ignored Effie's prompts and decided to stick to their own personality traits and ignore the Capitol people, just like before. They didn't care if they were liked, it didn't matter. But it was nerve wracking, Katniss knew the host would bring up her sister and she couldn't afford to cry on the stage.

Katniss and Gale stood ready and waiting on the chariot, dressed in a skin tight black outfit, their faces heavily made up with black makeup – which Cinna had chuckled and apologised with a shrug, amending that they would look like they were at least a little bit covered in 'soot'.

"When you're ready, I want you to push this button." Cinna stated handing a miniscule remote to Katniss who peered at it closely.

"What is it?" Gale asked, looking at it too.

"Press it and see." Cinna said with a smile as Katniss pressed the button. All at once their black costume came to life and began flickering softly with soft flames before growing in intensity. Katniss in a panic pressed the button again and the light slowly receded.

"You could have warned us!" Katniss barked, her heart thundering as she turned toward Gale as he looked in awe of his now back to black outfit.

"That's amazing." He stated simply as Cinna beamed.

"Now don't leave it on too long, its battery operated. Turn it on when you're nearly at the end where President Snow will be." Cinna stated with a nod of his head as they began moving with the other carriages.

"That was terrifying." Katniss muttered as Gale nudged into her body with a small smile.

"Now we really are the dark and dangerous couple." He muttered before laughing, watching as she did the same.

Once they followed the other carriages out into the large open area, both smiles fell from their faces.

"We do this together, like always. Right?" Gale asked close to her ear, his breath fanning her face as she nodded her head. Not trusting herself to speak. She startled when he felt his firm hand in her own, but didn't shrug from it. It was as alien feeling to be holding hands with one of her oldest friends – though she knew it wasn't in the romantic sense, it was still peculiar. She could feel the roughness, though he held onto her gently, could feel the calluses from their time hunting in the woods and could feel his strength melding into her own and took comfort in it, and when the time came, she pushed the button and tried not to smile when the screams of horror turned into screams of adoration, their hands flying together into the air.

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><p><span><strong>Authors note:<strong>** Well how do you like it so far? I did say I would be updating it weekly - but felt I should give a couple of chapters just to get into it. I welcome any reviews! They are greatly appreciated. I apologise now for any glaring mistakes, I do try to read it back carefully a million times! But alas I have no Beta. So now we are nearly at the Arena with the dark and dangerous couple.. This will be an ever so slight Gale/Katniss but may well change in later chapters. See you next Monday for two more chapters**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 :**

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><p>"That was perfect!" Cinna stated as soon as they were off the chariot and being hustled to the changing areas, ready to be primped and dressed for the interview.<p>

"You did good kids." Haymitch stated, following after them with Effie at his side.

"I just wish you had smiled, the crowed loved you!" Effie stated earnestly as Haymitch shook his head.

"Don't listen to her, keep what you're doing up." Haymitch said ignoring the daggers Effie was sending his way as Katniss and Gale nodded their heads.

"Its not an act, Haymitch. I hate them." Gale stated loudly, knocking the air from Katniss' lungs. She had never heard him say something like that out from the comfort of their woods. Katniss saw the shock on Effie and Cinna's faces, and the anger on Haymitch's.

"Real funny kid, good thing you're with friends. You think just because you're going into the Games that you're off the hook if you say that stuff? You're family is still out there. Don't give Snow any reason to punish you, play your part, and play the Games. Do you understand me?" Katniss had never heard Haymitch so serious or so angry since meeting him and knew Gale hadn't either, she saw the blood drain from Gales face as he nodded his head slowly, his mouth set in a tense line.

Katniss and Gale split ways, each giving the other tense nods before being subjected to a wardrobe change and makeover as they waited and watched the interviews begin on a screen from every wall.

"How are you holding up?" Cinna asked gently, and Katniss could feel her heart warming over her affectionate stylist and wished for different circumstances where she would know this man.

"I'm fine." She replied simply, giving a small shrug of her shoulders as he eyed her critically.

"You and Gale will be up soon. You nervous?" He asked, gently pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I guess, I don't know how to act. It was fine when they were just staring at us; but now that I am expected to talk to them? I don't know what to do." Katniss admitted quietly as Cinna nodded his head thoughtfully.

"Just do what you want, but remember what Haymitch told Gale. You're family is at risk so be careful, okay?" Cinna said watching as Katniss nodded her head, he began leading the way to the large stage where Ceaser was finishing his interview with a tall intimidating male from District eleven.

"Next we have the beautiful, the dark and dangerous volunteer from District Twelve; Katniss Everdeen!" Ceaser roared into his microphone as the crowed went wild. Katniss stumbled up the steps, kicking off her high heeled at the last moment - realising she would look ridiculous if she fell because of the shoes.

"Wow look at you!" Ceaser crooned, holding his hand out as Katniss took it, letting him lead the way as he presented her to the crowd. Cinna dressed her in a black, sleek and long fitted gown that shimmered like oil and told her specifically to spin and show off the beautiful dress.

"Would you like me to twirl? Cinna did an amazing job." Katniss stated truthfully as Ceaser, with his bright purple hair and lips nodded his head enthusiastically.

Katniss let go of the presenters hand and lifted her long olive tanned arms above her head and twirled, smiling as her dress began to light up like hot red coals- it wasn't fire, not as dangerous and unpredictable – but left unobserved it could be.

"My, my my – it burnt your shoes right off!" Ceaser burst out, as the crowd roared and laughed, calling her name. Ceaser took her hand again and led her to a comfortable looking chair and setting her down.

"No, I just realised how stupid I looked." Katniss stated with a shrug as Ceaser nodded his head.

"Someone as brave and fearless as you could never be stupid – a girl that volunteered for her sister." Ceaser said with a tear in his eye as the audience sighed.

"Its pretty stupid if you ask me." Katniss said with a laugh before sobering completely. "But she is my sister, and I couldn't let her do it. It was her first year."

"How very brave of you." Ceaser stated taking a deep breathe as if he was composing himself.

"So you scored the highest out of everyone- a girl from District Twelve. How does that feel?"

Katniss swallowed down the anger she felt over his shock that a girl from her district could get such a high score. "Honouring." She muttered sarcastically as Ceaser beamed ignoring her tone.

"Oh won't you tell us what you did? We are just dying to know!" Ceaser stated as Katniss' anger deepened.

"Oh you know the rules Ceaser, I just did something no one was expecting." Katniss replied flippantly as Ceaser shook his head woefully to the crowd.

"Fine, if you won't tell us then you'll have to tell us all about the young male tribute you came here with. When we watched you earlier, both of you engulfed in flames and hands held high in the air – proud to be from your district. Wasn't it something?" He asked the crowed as they cheered louder and clapped.

"You both have created quite the stir." Ceaser muttered with a conspiracy wink.

"Oh I know Ceaser, we have heard what the Capitol think of us." Katniss said leaning forward as he did the same.

"Oh I am sure it is all lovely things my dear." Ceaser assured smiling to the crowd.

"Well there is a lot of confusion over whether we are a couple or related." Katniss stated simply as Ceaser's face brightened.

"Well it is hard to say, you look awfully alike!"

"Would you like to know what we are?" Katniss asked sweetly as Ceaser turned to the crowed as they screamed out yes.

"Well." Katniss stated loudly. "We're." The buzzer rung loud and clear and the crowed booed as Katniss shrugged her shoulders and got to her feet, letting Ceaser kiss her cheek before getting off the stage without a backward glance to the audience.

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><p>Katniss tossed and turned in her bed all evening, it was her last night before she and Gale would be taken to the Arena and she couldn't sleep.<p>

She thought of Gale's interview, how he sat there surly without answering any of Ceaser's questions, choosing to nod his head or shrug his shoulders.

Even with his bad attitude the crowed still loved him, especially the women, which rubbed Katniss the wrong way- not that she knew why.

Katniss gave up with sleep and decided to pace her large room- she was restless and needed to move. She knew it would be best to get as much rest as she could. It was her last night being warm and comfortable and knew she would regret it come tomorrow night if she made it that far. But sleep eluded her.

When the morning arrived, Katniss barely got any sleep however her mind and body was wired for the upcoming Games.

Time moved quickly and her small team of Haymitch and Effie escorted her and Gale to the hovercraft that was awaiting all of the tributes.

"Good luck my little volunteers!" Effie said with tears in her eyes, grabbing them both and pulling them into her skinny arms.

"That's enough." Haymitch grumbled as Effie whimpered and backed away, dabbing at her eyes.

"Just, try to stay alive okay? Stick to the plan." Haymitch stated gruffly slapping Gale on the back and patting Katniss affectionately on the cheek which took her by surprise.

They boarded the hovercraft and immediately were given their trackers which were injected into their arms – before speeding off to the Arena. Once they arrived they were all separated into their own rooms which held a large tube that would lift them into the arena. Waiting in the room was Cinna with the clothes she would wear, hanging from his arm.

Cinna helped her dress in silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

"Expect cold nights." Cinna murmured rubbing the material on her sleeve absent-mindedly before the automatic voice boomed sixty seconds.

"I'm scared." Katniss murmured, her heart thundering painfully in her chest, as the voice counted down.

"I believe in you." Cinna stated pulling her into his arms and hugging her tightly. "Someone as brave as you will win."

"What about Gale?" She asked her throat closing painfully as Cinna hugged her tighter.

"You have to think about yourself now. I'm betting on you, dark and dangerous." Cinna said with a wink as Katniss nodded her head, slowly walking toward the tube and getting in- watching as it closed around her and as Cinna nodded his head giving her a small smile.

One minute she was in the tube staring woefully at Cinna who tried to smile reassuringly and then the next she was being lifted into darkness then into startling brightness of the Arena.

Katniss gasped in the fresh air, and was immediately greeted with the sight of green, so much green. Katniss could have laughed or cried in that given moment seeing all the trees and forest surrounding the cornucopia – she and Gale actually stood a chance, this was their environment.

Katniss found Gale immediately at least five people down from her, and she quickly turned her attention to the cornucopia and saw the countdown from sixty- she would have to think quickly. Go to the cornucopia and fight for weapons and food or straight to the forest, she remembered Haymitch telling them not too bother with the Cornucopia, to get the hell out of there and let the other tributes kill each other first. That they could survive without it.

Katniss easily found the Career pack all separated, and looked to Gale seeing him nod towards the cornucopia as she shook her head ever so slightly.

Before she knew it and could decide the canon went off signifying the beginning of the Games. Katniss ran to the Cornucopia when she saw Gale heading that way, her anger and fear spurring her on and she easily caught up to him, she was always the fastest. Katniss swiped and grabbed a bag, shouting out Gales name and throwing him the small bag as he caught it easily, before grabbing another from the ground for himself. Now that she was in the midst of things, she carried onwards and toward the bow and arrow that was calling out to her, her hand stretching out to grab it before she was knocked down by a heavy body on top of hers, she wheezed out a cry as hands grabbed at her throat- she recognised the boy from One grinning from on top of her. Never in her life had she been attacked, she panicked and bucked her hips trying to dislodge him from on top of her as he squeezed the air from her lungs, her hands scratching at his face.

Black spots began to form over her eyes, her body becoming sluggish but one minute she was being chocked the next Gale was on top of her attacker and dislodging him from her, punching at his face with a ferocity she didn't know he possessed.

Katniss wheezed looking around her in a panic- everyone was caught in their own bloodbath but she knew they would have to get away. She swayed to her feet, grabbing the bow and arrow, poising it ready for any attackers.

"Gale!" Katniss urged, looking around her in a panic, seeing the other careers killing quickly. "We need to go!" Her throat burnt painfully with every panicked word but it did the trick, Gale got to his feet, kicking Cato – she remembered his name to be, hard in the ribs before grabbing the bags and pulling her away from the cornucopia and into the tree line.

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><p><strong>AUTHORS NOTE: An early chapter, for all of the Halloween cheer. I have just finished writing this story - so I am very excited to upload it all! As always I apologise for any spellinggrammar mistakes. I do hope you enjoy my little version of this! I do love reviews, so feel free! See you Monday for two Chapters!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 :**

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><p>They ran for what seemed like an eternity- which was torture for Katniss who felt as if she couldn't get enough air into her lungs after Cato had attacked her. Her body was still sluggish, she who was normally the fastest was now the slowest as she kept tripping over branches and falling into trees.<p>

"Come on Katniss!" Gale hissed, pulling her along roughly, her breathing too loud and erratic. "You have to be quiet. We are everybody's target!"

"I can't!" Katniss gasped out, wheezing loudly.

Gale stopped suddenly, as Katniss fell into his back- trying to control her ragged breathing as his face took on a serious mask, he slowly lifted a finger to his mouth – signalling for her to be silent. Which was near impossible for her, for all she could feel was her lungs burning and Cato's hands around her throat.

Gale cocked his head to the left as Katniss wheezed long breathes loudly from behind him, he waited again and then heard it. Running.

Gale turned quickly, and roughly pushed Katniss behind a large tree that was subtly covered by thick scratchy bushes, his hand covering her mouth and effectively silencing her- his body melding into hers and hiding her from any attackers.

Katniss fought against Gale, her lungs aching and burning as she sucked in deep breathes of air through her nose.

"Shh." Gale hissed quietly into her ear as Katniss tightly closed her eyes working on calming her breathing.

Gale waited for a few extra beats longer, listened as the running veered off and away from them- before breathing deeply, his own heart thundering painfully.

"Are you okay?" Gale asked quietly as he let his hand drop from her mouth as Katniss glared at him, her breathing somewhat more calmed than what it was before.

"I'm fine." Katniss spat, her anger receding as her vision became tunnelled.

"Cat, you don't look so good." Gale muttered, watching as her face paled making the bruising around her neck stand out. "Sit down."

Katniss did as she was told, dropping her bow and arrow to the ground and sliding down the rough bark of the tree and leaning against it and closing her eyes.

"I'm so sorry." Gale murmured, taking a seat beside her and eyeing her neck closely.

"You didn't keep your promise." Katniss replied her voice scratchy and sore.

"I wasn't going to leave you, especially when it was my idea to get supplies." Gale stated shaking his head.

"Did you kill him?" Katniss asked quietly, not remembering if she heard the canon.

"I don't think so, it wasn't my intention. When I saw him knock you to the ground, then be on top of you, chocking you? With that smile on his face. I didn't think, I just acted." Gale mumbled, looking down at his bruised and bloody knuckles.

"Thank you." Katniss said softly.

"You're welcome Catnip."

They rested for a few minutes, letting Katniss regain her breath before they began again- though more slowly and cautiously then the last time. They walked for hours without finding any other tributes, but found a place with high trees that were covered mostly by smaller branches that were full of leaves and decided they would get food and eat before retiring to a high branch for the night.

They sat down with a small haul of animals that Katniss had shot with her bow, two squirrels and a plump rabbit with a handful of roots they had foraged. They ate in silence, listening to the forest with their hunters ears and both going through their packs. Katniss had rope, a small container for water and dried fruit in a smaller bag, whilst Gale had an assortment of knives, a small coil of wire, and a sleeping bag.

"I'm going to make a few snares, try and get breakfast for tomorrow and maybe even a few tributes too." Gale joked lamely as Katniss glared.

"I'm kidding, Katniss." Gale muttered rolling his eyes and retreating into forest, not too far for she could still hear his near silent tread.

Since Gale had volunteered for the Games, their relationship had been tense, nothing at all like it was before, easy. Katniss hated it, knew their time together was limited but her anger at him was holding her back.

"Do you know what you remind me off?" Gale asked, as he came back from the tree's where he had disappeared into. Katniss shrugged her shoulders.

"What?" She asked looking up at him as he towered over her, his hands playing with the wire.

"When we first met. You're back to being the girl I bumped into, who was so scared. Who muttered when she spoke." Gale stated, dropping to the ground beside her and carefully placing his wire back into his pack.

"I'm not scared, and I'm not muttering now." Katniss spat, shaking her head.

"You're pushing me away. I can feel it, there's a distance between us that was never there before." Gale said, his dark eyes turning stormy.

"Because one of us will die! You just seem to forget that, don't you?" Katniss stated, working hard to control her voice, her throat still scratched from earlier.

"I thought you understood why I did it!" Gale replied just as full of anger.

"I do, I get it. I just understand now, you clearly didn't think I could win. So you swoop in, and win yourself for our families." Katniss muttered looking away.

"That's not it." Gale replied sighing, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

"What?" Katniss glared.

"You never get it Katniss, even if I spelt it out to you." Gale said with a shrug, looking out into the tree line. "I care about you, I volunteered to keep you safe. I know you can look after yourself, but you can't seriously think I was just going to wait for you to maybe come home. I'd rather die, than do that."

Katniss felt the anger drain out of her at Gales confession, then felt the heat rise to her cheeks as she turned away from him. "I care about you too Gale, you're my best friend." Katniss murmured as Gale laughed.

"I know Catnip, I know."

The tension between the two didn't lessen after they spoke, only had risen to unbearable levels full of something much more confusing, that Katniss couldn't get her head around climbed a high tree together as the sky began to darken, their stomachs full from the food and bodies exhausted. They managed to find a wide thick branch that they could both fit on easily and tied themselves with Katniss' rope just to make sure they wouldn't fall in the night.

Gale fiddled with the zip of his sleeping bag, opening it wide and placing it over himself and Katniss as the anthem began playing to show the lost tributes. Seven were dead already. Katniss couldn't place the faces to names, and it made heart ache with the guilt and anger of it all.

"I can't lose you Gale." Katniss finally murmured long after the anthem had played at the end of the announcement, unable to turn and look at him – she only stared up at the sky where the faces of the dead children hung and haunted her.

"I don't know what will happen to me if you die." Katniss sniffed back the tears that were threatening to fall, the dark and dangerous couple? She could have laughed at how wrong the Capitol were about them.

"Don't think about that, just sleep Katniss." Gale said roughly. "I'll keep first watch, I'll look after you."

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><p>The days passed by in the same manner, Katniss and Gale hadn't seen another tribute- but continuously heard the canon play through out the days. Katniss often worried that they must be boring for the viewers, because if the Game makers thought they were boring then they would intervene which would be a hundred times worse than bumping into another tribute.<p>

However with the lack of seeing other tributes, it was easy for Katniss and Gale to pretend that they were in their own woods, it brought back a sense of normality for the pair. They were surviving easily enough, though some nights they still went hungry however they had managed to find water, through sheer luck, which kept them alive.

"What do you want for dinner tonight, dear?" Gale asked as he fashioned himself a bow with Katniss help.

"Oh, I don't know. Perhaps a big wild boar to make into a stew?" Katniss played along grinning up at him as he nodded his head thoughtfully.

"Don't you miss Sae's stews?" Gale asked with a hint of a smile playing on his lips as Katniss bit her lip, trying to hide her smirk. Sae's stews were famous around the hob, no one really enjoyed it, but it was the only place to get hot food with meat in it. Though nobody ever knew what meat it was.

"I do, but do you know what I miss more? I miss the food we had on the train. The meat and the sauces were amazing." Katniss stated, feeling her stomach clench painfully with the hunger.

"Oh don't get me started Catnip." Gale laughed, hearing her stomach begin growling.

"I can practically smell it!" Katniss laughed breathing deeply through her nose before stopping completely and looking at Gale with wide eyes. "Can you smell that?" She asked, breathing again and smelling the acidic burning smell, more than a camp fire – something much bigger and thicker and dangerous.

Gale immediately got to his feet, placing his pack which was full onto his back and grabbing his weapons.

"Lets get out of here." Gale stated helping Katniss pack her own bag quickly, both were silent and on edge- listening for any tributes.

"Its strong, we must be close to it." Katniss murmured looking up to the sky and seeing the beginnings of large billowing smoke rising from close to them.

"Have you heard the canon today?" Gale asked as they rushed from their camp-site, trying to get as much distance from the fire as they could, Katniss shook her head. It must be a dull day; there was no way a tribute would make such a large fire and so quickly.

No matter what direction they rushed to, to get some distance from the quick spreading fire, it was always there. It was clearly the work of the Game makers, rounding them to the other tributes.

They sprinted as fast as they could, watching as wild animals ran with them, and over take them to get away from the fast approaching fire.

"Its never ending!" Katniss stated, covering her mouth and nose as Gale did the same, their eyes streaming from the smoke that was surrounding them.

"This way!" Gale shouted, pulling at her arm and dragging her down a steep slope.

They ran for a few minutes longer, until their lungs ached and burned, before stopping completely- both heaving heavily from the oppressing smoke.

"I think we've gotten away from it." Gale finally said as his breathing calmed, as Katniss nodded her head, both taking turns on sipping their dwindling water supply.

They continued onward slowly, each listening out for anything different. Both sure that they were forced out of their camp to the awaiting Career pack however as they walked in silence they heard something else. A quiet sob.

They walked slowly and silently to the sound, both of their weapons drawn and ready just in case though neither expecting to see the little girl from District Eleven, collapsed to the floor, protectively holding her leg with tears down her face.

"Hey, are you okay?" Katniss asked, realising how ridiculous it sounded. Anyone else would have killed the girl quickly. The little girl whimpered and scooted back and away from them, trembling.

"It's okay, we won't hurt you. I swear it." Katniss murmured putting her weapons away and shooting Gale a look until he did the same.

"Why?" The little girl asked incredulously, looking at them both warily as Gale sighed silently and turned away from the two and keeping watch.

"Because I don't want to." Katniss stated simply.

"They call you both the dark and dangerous couple from Twelve." The little girl murmured as Katniss snorted a laugh.

"We're only dangerous to the wildlife around here." Katniss murmured patting at her thin belly.

"I saw what he did to Cato. Cato isn't happy, he's plotting revenge." The little girl said as Katniss looked in dismay to Gale.

"What's your name?" Katniss asked gently, sitting down and opening her pack slowly- getting out the dried fruit she had been saving and giving it to the little girl.

"Rue." She replied quickly, wiping at her face with the back of her hand, her eyes lighting up at the food, she was clearly hungry.

"What happened to your leg?" Katniss asked, handing her the food and taking a small piece of fruit to eat herself.

"The fire, I was in a tree and suddenly there were flames everywhere. I tried to runaway but I fell and hurt my leg." Rue said eating the food quickly.

"You like tree's too, huh?" Katniss smiled as Rue nodded her head.

"Its how I know what Cato was planning; I followed them for awhile, from the trees."

"Wow." Katniss breathed, clearly impressed as Rue beamed. "How would you like to be allies with us? Just for a little bit, until your leg is better and you are able to climb trees again?" Katniss asked as Rue smiled brightly nodding her head enthusiastically.

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><p><strong>Authors Note : I just want to say a quick thank you to my first reviewer; Mrsjmw. Thank you so much! I am glad you are enjoying it and hope you like this chapter and the next I will be posting! Also a big thank you to my second reviewer; wolfess49ers - Glad you are liking that Dark and Dangerous aren't pandering to the Capitol! And here we go, the answer to your question! I love little Rue, they had to be allies! Be prepared for some twists and turns with the plot! <strong>

**Again, I do re-read a million times so apologies if I miss any silly mistakes! Do enjoy and I will see you with Chapter six.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

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><p>"I don't know about this Katniss." Gale murmured, as they settled for the night, perched high into the trees. Gale had to lift Rue on his back, for her ankle was badly sprained.<p>

"We couldn't leave her Gale." Katniss said looking over to the little girl who was wrapped in the sleeping bag, already asleep.

"She'll slow us down." Gale reasoned as Katniss shrugged her shoulders.

"Then leave. You don't have to stay." Katniss said evenly as Gale looked at her in shock.

"You want me to go?" Gale asked in shock as Katniss rolled her eyes.

"Of course I don't want you to go. I'm just giving you a choice; you don't have to stay with us. I know the risk is higher, especially as she is injured. But I can't leave her, I just can't. She reminds me too much of Prim."

"I'm not going anywhere." Gale muttered, "You may as well get some sleep, I'll keep watch."

The sound of Canon startled them all from their sleep in the early hours of the morning. The first death of the day and Katniss wondered just how many of them were left.

"We should start moving today, we don't want to be caught by the Careers." Gale muttered, his body tense and face serious as the two girls nodded their head.

"I'm sorry." Rue murmured to Katniss, as Gale began packing their meagre belongings.

"What for?" Katniss asked in shock.

"He doesn't want me to be here, I'm a liability – I know that." Rue murmured with a sigh as Katniss shook her head, pulling the small girl tightly into her arms.

"No you're not. Don't worry about him. I'll keep you safe." Katniss promised as Rue wrapped her arms back around her and nodded her head silently.

They moved slowly through out the forest once everything was packed up. Gale had given Rue a sharp and dangerous looking knife, while he practised using his made bow and arrow. It wasn't anything compared to the viscous one Katniss had picked up at the Cornucopia, but it would do. Neither of them spoke, all listening to the forest and the occasional canon signifying death.

"There's a lake around here somewhere, I recognise that tree." Rue piped up, pointing to a tall tree that had moss covering most of its base.

Katniss nodded her head, placing her bow over her shoulders and effortlessly climbing the tree as Gale and Rue waited below.

Katniss was impressed, the tree wasn't particularly easy to climb but little Rue had obviously done it. The branches were mostly smooth from the moss that grew on it, and slippery.

When Katniss got to the top, she surveyed her surroundings but all she could see were mountains and the thick tops of trees- until a little glimmer caught her eye. Rue was right, not even a half a mile away there was a large lake.

As soon as Katniss had returned to the bottom of the tree, she saw Rue throwing small berries into Gales awaiting mouth and giggling when he would catch each and every one of them, she knew it wouldn't take long for Gale to warm to the little girl.

"Rue's right, we're pretty close to it too." Katniss said rubbing her hands down her legs as Gale nodded his head to Rue.

"Here, get on." Gale stated slapping a hand over his shoulder and onto his back. "You need to rest your leg, if you want it to get better."

Katniss easily picked the girl up and hefted her onto Gale's back as he held onto her effortlessly and walked into the direction of the lake. Once they had made it to the lake, Katniss helped Rue take her shoes off and put her into the shallow water, hoping the cool water would help her swollen ankle.

"Is there a lot of the Career pack left?" Katniss asked Rue who bit her lip in thought.

"I think all of them are still alive. They're camped at the Cornucopia. They got most of the weapons and food." Rue stated, watching as Gale collected water to boil so it was safe for them to drink.

"I knew I could trust you Katniss. I didn't know if I could trust Gale. You volunteered to save your sister, why did Gale volunteer?" Rue asked quietly.

"To protect me." Katniss stated simply as Rue nodded her head. "Was he protecting you from Cato?" Rue asked quietly as Katniss nodded her head. "Cato is a bad person, he's desperate to find Gale." Katniss felt her blood run cold at this admission and looked to Rue in horror.

"What did you hear?" She asked the younger girl.

"Cato is crazy. All he would speak about were the two of you, you who got a higher score than he did, and Gale who beat him up so badly. Cato didn't say anything specific but he didn't need to." Rue admitted gently as Katniss breathed deeply.

"It would seem little one. That you really aren't safe with us." Katniss sighed, giving the girl a small sad smile.

"I'm safer than I was when I was alone. I trust you and Gale." Rue stated earnestly and Katniss felt her heart clench- because she would have to send this little girl off to be killed, because she and Gale could do no such thing, and there would only be one winner.

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><p>They hiked with a new sense of urgency, it was clear that the Career pack would be hunting them especially if Cato was as crazy as Rue said him to be. More often than not, Rue would ride on Gale's back- her ankle was badly sprained and Katniss worried that maybe something small was broken. They walked quickly and quietly, navigating the woods with only small resting breaks.<p>

The canon was echoing loud and clear in the sky, and they all tried to keep count until the evening where they would see who had lost the Games, then work out who was left. A week had already passed and Katniss was somewhat glad that the Careers were so focused on trying to catch she and Gale for they killed through the other tributes quickly which meant herself and Gale had one less thing to worry about.

"Is your District partner still alive?" Gale asked Rue as they walked continuously, no real destination in their minds.

"Thresh? I think he is, he is big and strong so I am sure he is." Rue said softly.

"Did you know him back at home?" Katniss asked as Rue shook her head no.

"I saw him around a lot of the time, but I didn't know him. He told me that I couldn't rely on him in the Games. The last I saw of him was when he ran into the tall grass."

Katniss shuddered at the thought, she saw the long grass and there was something about it that set the hairs on the back of her neck on edge, the idea of a hidden threat that no doubt loomed in the dark recesses. She thought of snakes immediately and the quicksand she had seen in previous games.

"I think here is a good space to stop for the night." Gale stated, gently placing Rue onto the ground and distributing the water around, as they all took small sips.

"I'm going to find something to eat." Katniss said preparing her bow and arrow, and leaving Gale and Rue alone to set up camp.

Katniss soon found her prey, a squirrel and a plump bird. She bound their feet with a small piece of wire she had taken from Gale and then cleaned her arrows, returning them to their sheath. She continued onwards, just a little further away from camp, knowing she could catch more- they would have a feast tonight then work out a plan for the morning.

Katniss heard a small rustle, tiny and minuscule but she heard it with her keen hunter's ears. She prepared an arrow, half expecting to see a rabbit come and walk her way- she realised the wind was against her and knew she would be able to catch anything that wandered unexpectedly out. Katniss hadn't however expected to see a large flash of black and orange hiding, then darting from one tree to another. She shot her arrow without thinking and watched as it hit its mark – which made an unpleasant gurgling sound before falling to the floor with a loud dull thump.

A person, a tribute. She ran to them, paying no heed that they could have their own weapons and found a slim pale girl on the floor, her orange hair fanned around her, her face twisted in agony as the arrow stood rigid and straight from the middle of her chest.

"Oh my god." Katniss moaned, her hands fanning around the lodged arrow uselessly as the girl stared at her with shining unblinking eyes, a small trail of blood working its way out from the corner of her mouth.

"I'm so sorry." Katniss sobbed, her hands shaking tremendously. Katniss chocked on her horror as the girl slowly looked to the sky, a gurgling wet sound emitting from her throat until it stopped immediately the only sound following was the canon.

"No, no I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to." Katniss sobbed loudly, falling backwards and away from the dead girl, then panicking completely and scrambling to her feet, rushing from the girl who lay unmoving in the damp grass and back to her camp, the meat long forgotten as was her bow which was thrown to the ground.

"Katniss thank god! We heard the canon!" Gale breathed getting to his feet and rushing to her. "What happened to you?"

"I killed her! I killed her! I didn't mean to, you have to believe me. I didn't mean to." Katniss wept her body convulsing with the shock.

"Who? Who did you kill Katniss? Take a breathe." Gale instructed, holding her tear stained face between his large hands as she chocked out her sobs.

"The girl from District Five." Katniss managed to say before collapsing to the ground in her grief, she rocked back and forth, her hands covering her face.

"Where is your bow?" Gale asked watching as she shook her head.

"Stay with her Rue. Keep your knife with you." Gale instructed as Rue nodded her head, crawling toward the hysterical Katniss and keeping guard.

Gale returned not long after he had left, carrying the forgotten animals and Katniss' bow. His face was pale and serious as he easily hefted Katniss to her feet as she sobbed brokenly against him.

"Katniss. We need to get out of here, a hovercraft will be here any second, and the other tributes could find us. We need to go." Gale stated each word carefully and slowly as Katniss merely shook and cried. He sighed to himself and closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them and slapping Katniss hard and quickly across the face. Rue gasped watching as Katniss head lolled to the side, her sobs stopping immediately only to look bleary eyed to Gale whose mouth was set in a tense line.

"We need to go." Gale stated slowly again as Katniss nodded her head ever so slightly, taking her bow from Rue's hand and placing it over her shoulder robotically.

Gale picked Rue up and placed her onto his back as she held on tensely.

"I had to do it." Gale murmured to the younger girl. "I didn't want to."

Rue relaxed against his back and watched over her shoulder as Katniss followed after them, her cheek a brilliant shade of pink on her otherwise pale face.

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><p><strong>Authors note : So there we have it, chapter six and Katniss' first kill. How are we enjoying our little rag tag group? Like always I apologise for any mistakes! I also always appreciate any reviews, I like to hear your <strong>**opinions! Until next time, which I will say Monday - but I'll probably update in between because I can't help myself! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

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><p>They walked for a couple more hours, as twilight began setting over the arena, just managing to find a concealed enough tree. They cooked the meat on hot embers of a low burning fire, making sure it didn't get too big, before eating quickly and disposing of the fire and carcass before scaling the tree, each lost in their own thoughts and waiting patiently for the anthem to begin.<p>

When it did, Katniss could barely stand to look at the sky and see the girl that she killed, instead she trusted Gale to keep count of how many tributes were left.

"There's only ten of us left." Gale stated without any infliction as Katniss numbly nodded her head.

"The career pack hunt at night." Rue murmured quietly.

"So that leaves us with the Careers, Thresh and us?" Gale murmured confused.

"They have a pair from District ten, they guard the Cornucopia when they are out hunting." Rue explained.

"We need to think of a plan." Gale stated as Katniss shot him a look.

"A plan? What can we do? Rue needs to rest her leg Gale. The plan is to keep to what we are doing." Katniss spat as Gale looked at her in shock.

"Fine we do that for a couple more days, and then we go after them." Gale stated taking a breath, looking at her still pink cheek and feeling guilt.

"Go after them? You don't know what you are saying!" Katniss stated urgently, her mind haunted over the girl that she had just killed, and she knew in that moment that the girl whose name she did not even know would always be with her.

"It does something to you Gale. Killing a person does something that can never be fixed." She whimpered as he leant toward her.

"It was either you or her. You have to remember that!" Gale stated as she shook her head.

"She didn't even have a weapon Gale."

"But the career pack will, Katniss. They will kill you and me and Rue and wont even care." Gale stated his eyes wild and crazed, she closed her own eyes and rested against the rough bark of the tree, pulling Rue to lean against her.

"We have time to think, we will think of a plan when Rue is better." Katniss muttered effectively ending the conversation.

The next couple of days passed in the same fashion – the atmosphere around them all was tense and awkward. They ate silently and moved to different locations of the arena. Katniss was closed off, still reeling from the death of the girl that she had killed. There had been no canons since that time, and she worried that the Game makers were going to get bored with the lack of action.

Rue's ankle was getting better as the days progressed; they had been winding a tight piece of fabric around it which seemed to be helping her.

"I have been thinking." Gale murmured in the evening as Rue slept not far from them.

"You're right, we can't just go after the career pack. They are talented and will just kill us off. But they have a lot off supplies don't they? I thought, if we could just get rid of their supplies somehow maybe that would help us? I can bet they don't know how to hunt. Maybe it would happen naturally. Starvation, desperation?" Gale stated, his arm resting against hers as she nodded her head thoughtfully.

"We could go to the cornucopia, watch them. Set a few diversions and then get in there. It would be perfect, Rue is nearly healed. She can live off in the trees like she was doing, and in that time we would split up." Gale said carefully as Katniss looked up at him in shock.

"I'm not ready for us to split!" Katniss said louder than she intended before slapping a hand over her mouth, as she and Gale looked around themselves and listening.

"I'm not either Catnip." Gale murmured, gently tucking a loose piece of hair behind her ear. "We won't, not yet at least, let a few of the careers die, and then we will split."

"I can't do this without you." Katniss murmured as Gale sighed silently.

"You think I can?" Gale murmured leaning in and quickly pressing his lips to her own as she gasped, pulling back in shock.

"Gale?" She questioned softly as he smiled at her.

"I had to do that, Katniss. At least once."

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><p>"What's happened between you two?" Rue asked the following afternoon, as Gale went to hunt leaving the two of them alone. The tell tale blush was still on Katniss' face even hours later.<p>

"Nothing." Katniss breathed as Rue looked at her with a raised brow.

"Something." Rue sang in a pretty voice as a near by Mockingjay repeated the pitch, Katniss hadn't noticed them at first, but the arena was full of them. Had learnt from Rue that there were a lot of nests in the trees and which tree to avoid because of them.

"He likes you, you know?" Rue added with a grin as Katniss blushed further.

"He does not." Even as Katniss said this she couldn't believe it.

"Gale told me." Rue said as Katniss looked at her in shock, she giggled quietly to herself whilst nodding her head. "Do you like him?" Rue persisted as Katniss rolled her eyes.

"Its, he's Gale." She stated as if that were enough explanation.

"You do! You like him too!" Rue stated excitedly as Katniss tried to silence her.

"It doesn't matter!" Katniss muttered with a shrug. "I've never thought about him that way, but last night he kissed me."

"I knew something happened!" Rue stated excitedly with a wide grin making Katniss laugh. "So do you like him?" Rue asked getting to her feet and stretching her nearly healed ankle.

"Gale's my best friend Rue." Katniss said with a shrug, she tried to think if maybe he had kissed her back at home, would things had been different?

"He told me; it was the summer after you met – that he realised he liked you. He saw someone flirting with you and he didn't like it." Rue admitted wistfully, standing the way Katniss always noticed, leant forward with an excited smile on her pretty face, arms tensed at her side.

"That's not true, no one has ever flirted with me." Katniss scoffed from her seat on the floor as Rue smiled wider.

"He told me that you didn't even know when someone was flirting with you or liked you! Which made it all the better and harder for him!" Rue stated as if it was the biggest surprise. "Gale's in love with you! Katniss and Gale sitting in a tree!" Rue pointed up to the tree that they were sleeping in just the night before, laughing joyfully to herself. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G" She sung as Katniss put her finger to her lips, trying to look severe and only laughing alongside with her, a feeling so very foreign to Katniss blooming in her chest.

"First comes love, then comes marriage-" Her singing stopped short with a pained gasp and Katniss looked up suddenly, watching as the smile fell from Rue's face as she fell to her knee's.

"No." She muttered, the air leaving her lungs and making her gasp from the shock and pain. Katniss looked up to see one of the Careers from District two – Marvel she knew his name to be, a smile on his mean face. She pulled an arrow as fast as she could, but it was too late, an arrow made off wood and stone went flying through the air well before hers was even ready and went straight through his eye, killing him quickly.

Katniss flung herself to Rue who was laying on her front gasping for breathe. Gale came running from the tree line, preparing another arrow and waiting expectantly.

"We have to go!" He shouted, pointing his arrow, his breathing short and shallow.

"I'm not leaving her!" Katniss screamed, looking at the severe knife that was embedded into her back. "You're okay Rue. You're okay. I got you." Katniss murmured to her as the girl quietly sobbed between wheezing breathes.

"Please?" Rue gasped out, a hand motioning toward her back before dropping to the ground in pain. Katniss bit her lip, and pulled the knife out from her back as fast as she could as Rue groaned in agony.

"I'm sorry." Katniss sobbed, turning her over and onto her back.

Katniss watched as Rue cried softly, her eyes closing more than they were opening.

"Please Rue, stay awake!" Katniss cried holding onto the girl and rocking her.

"Katniss." Gale said quietly, tears falling from his own dark eyes. "Katniss, she's gone."

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><p><strong>Authors note : Oh God! I loved little Rue :( Hope you all enjoyed this impromptu chapter! My very talented sister read my story earlier, and swore at me for the ending - So hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as she did! I was planning on waiting until Monday but I just couldn't help myself once again! Feel free to leave me any reviews, I love them! <strong>

**Also my sister used to write a lot of Fanfic, so feel free to check her out : Carla-p She wrote a lot of X-men fanfic, which was awesome! **

**Until next time!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

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><p>One minute she was crying hysterically over Rues body and the next she was being dragged away by Gale.<p>

"I'll kill them, I'll kill them all!" Katniss screamed, panting out her tears and anger as Gale stood and watched her impassively. "She was just a little girl!" She screamed again throwing pieces of tree limbs from the ground and into the neighbouring trees and foliage.

"That's enough." Gale warned her, knew she was treading on dangerous ground.

"I don't care! I will kill them all!" She roared her eyes, wide and unfocused, pacing deeper into the forest, the fire in her veins roaring back to life.

"You will not!" Gale stated running after her and snatching her bow from her grip and keeping it out of her reach.

"Give it back to me Gale!" She roared throwing herself at him as hard as she could, feeling him move and buckle slightly under her weight.

"We are sticking to our original plan, we will destroy their supplies then pick them off." Gale stated reasonably, heaving a loud sigh. His own face was pink from the tears he had silently shed. Katniss deflated against his hard body, wrapping her arms around his torso tightly.

"I couldn't save her." Katniss whispered brokenly as Gale held onto her just as tightly and securely.

"You did your best, Catnip. She lived longer than what she would have done if she was by herself." Gale reasoned, rubbing her slender back gently.

"Would she have? The Careers were after us Gale. Maybe he was aiming for me." She whimpered before taking a long shuddering breath and releasing Gale. Katniss looked down at her hands and saw them blood stained from holding onto Rue. Gale reached out and held onto her stained trembling hands.

"We will get revenge for her Katniss. I promise you." Gale murmured squeezing her hands once before letting go.

They planned quickly and quietly to one and another, as they headed to the Cornucopia. Katniss scaled a large tree, which had a perfect view to the large open area with the cornucopia in the middle; she saw the remaining tributes, two girls and Cato – plus the tributes from Ten. She climbed to the bottom of the tree back to Gale.

"They're all there, except Thresh of course. I don't know where he is." Katniss stated, picking at her red hands.

"Okay, you know the plan right?" Gale asked. They would be separating, Gale would cause a diversion whilst Katniss took to the tree – making sure the Careers would leave and then somehow destroy all of their supplies.

"I do, I just don't know how I will destroy the supplies." She fretted and as if it were magic, they heard the quiet beeping of a parachute. Their very first sponsor, the box was bigger than what it would normally be, it was thin and wide.

They watched in shock as it landed before running to it and opening it.

It held a solitary arrow with a red tip with a simple note saying to shoot straight, signed by Haymitch.

"Well look at that." Gale murmured with a small smile.

"What do you think it will do?" Katniss asked watching as Gale took out the arrow and twisted it, looking at it from all angles.

"I don't know, it must be like some kind of explosive." Gale murmured as Katniss bit her lip in thought.

"Do you think I should set fire to it first?" Katniss asked, taking it from him and studying it, it was pure metal but a rattling noise came from within.

"No, there's nothing that would keep it alight. Just do what Haymitch says and shoot straight." Gale murmured as Katniss nodded her head and gently put it into her sheath.

"So we'll meet at the lake once all is done, right?" Gale asked as Katniss nodded her head.

"Right." She agreed quietly a bad feeling settling in her stomach watching as Gale smiled then turned and began walking in the opposite direction of the Cornucopia.

"Wait, Gale!" She shouted as quietly as she could, running to him. Gale spun around, his heavy brow lifted in confusion.

"What, Katniss?" He asked her gently as she looked down to the ground.

"What, what if we get split up? What if you're not at the lake?" Katniss asked as Gale smiled sadly.

"Then you carry on, and try to win for yourself. I will be there though, and so will you. Don't worry." Gale said smiling reassuringly, turning again as Katniss caught onto his wrist. Gale turned to her looking down at her small hand wrapped around his arm then looked to her face, her cheeks stained pink.

"Stay safe, okay?" Katniss murmured letting go of his wrist and instead reaching out to stroke his face. They had been friends and best friends for as long as she could remember but never had she touched his face before, she felt the slight stubble on his cheek felt it scratch as he leaned against her hand whilst closing his dark eyes.

She breathed a soft sigh, regretting all the times she had said she would never meet someone or marry, regretting the fact that she couldn't see what was so clearly in front of her.

They moved together as if on queue, her hand planted to his face and stroking his cheek bone, as his hand wound and cupped her neck pulling her closer to his mouth and kissing her urgently.

"You had to volunteer didn't you?" Katniss murmured brokenly as they pulled apart for air. Gale leant forward resting his lips on her forehead, his hand absent-mindedly stroking her long braid, he pulled back only slightly whispering quietly to her.

"I love you, more than I love anyone – even myself."

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><p>As soon as Gale uttered those words, Katniss felt herself freeze and let him kiss her once more gently on the lips before retreating back into the forest.<p>

Katniss stood immobile, lost in her own thought. Before shaking her head and turning back to her tree and climbing it quickly. The plan was to give Gale half an hour, where he would light some fires then as soon as she saw the Careers leave she would strike. She looked to the towering mountain of supplies they had gathered and knew she would fire her arrow into the base.

As she waited she thought of Gale and the kiss, her lips were still tingling. She could just picture Haymitch watching from the Capitol with Effie at his side, grumbling about his idiot tributes, as Effie would wipe away a dramatic tear. She held in the hysteric bubble of laughter, she was sure she was losing her mind.

Katniss knew the time came when she heard the Careers shouting and pointing off to the west, Gale had clearly made good time and she hoped he had gotten far away and to the next point.

Katniss watched as the Careers collected their weapons and headed in the direction of the smoke, leaving the boy and girl from District ten. The girl stood to the rear of the Cornucopia whilst the boy stood to the front, facing the long grass which was Thresh's home.

As soon as she noticed that the Careers were out of sight, she began quickly climbing down the tree and running silently to the edge of the tree line. Katniss hid behind the thick foliage on her knee, positioning her arrow toward the base of the pile of supplies, knowing she couldn't waste one minute of their precious time before taking a deep breathe and hoping with all that she had that it would work.

Katniss let the arrow fly and it was like everything was moving in slow motion, as soon as the arrow had hit its mark, the ground had shook with the force of the explosion, sending her spiralling backwards and making her ears ring. Katniss lay on the wet ground, her head pounding and unable to hear a thing, she crawled awkwardly and hid in a thick sharp bush, willing for the ringing in her ears to subside so she could leave the dangerous place and head to the lake.

Katniss watched as the debris of the food and weapons floated in ash to the ground, the girl from Ten looked panicked and looked around herself in shock from the ground, blood spilling from a large gash on her head. Katniss turned her attention to the boy, watched as he too slowly got to his feet, swaying slightly and watched as Thresh, a tall hulking man ran toward him with a large knife – they fought for a minute and it was clear that the girl from Ten had injured her ears for she did not even know of the battle happening behind her. Katniss glanced around herself realising what a dangerous situation she had put herself in especially with her lost hearing, her heart thundering in her chest she turned her attention to the two males. Katniss watched as the boy from Ten managed to stab Thresh with his own small sharp dangerous knife, before Thresh finished him off, slicing a brilliant red smile against the smaller boys neck. Katniss pushed her hand against her mouth, watching as blood sprayed from the boy's neck before he died. Thresh stumbled away, dropping his own knife and falling to the ground.

Katniss slowly heard the surrounding forest come back to life and she silently walked quickly to the big tree and scaling it, hiding in the long branches covered with leaves.

Katniss watched as the girl from Ten noticed the dead bodies and looked around herself in obvious panic, Katniss then heard the shouting of the female Careers and watched as they sprinted out from the tree line, hands and arms waving at the destroyed supplies before the shorter girl with black hair threw a small throwing knife at the girl from Ten.

Katniss watched it all, whilst her body trembled like a leaf. She heard the canon boom and felt small relief that her hearing was coming back to her, then noticed with a slow sinking feeling of terror that Cato wasn't with the girls.

Perhaps she thought to herself, that Cato had died and that she had missed the canon, and then she thought to herself, what if Gale had died.

Katniss took a deep breath and watched the two girls closely; she instantly remembered their names as Clove and Glimmer. She watched as they looked around at the dead tributes and headed away from the Cornucopia, nothing was left for them there.

Katniss thought quickly, her mind going into over drive. Cato should be with them the only reason he wouldn't be was if he was dead or had Gale. Katniss could head back to the lake and see if Gale was there or she could follow the girls, hope they would lead the way to Cato if he was still alive.

Katniss climbed quickly from the tree, her bow and arrow drawn and ready. She nimbly ran through the forest, not making any sound until she saw the backs of the girls, she followed them silently as neither of them spoke.

"Does Cato really believe that we would take her back to him alive?" Glimmer asked, her pretty light blonde hair shimmering in the sun light. That answered Katniss' question. Cato was alive. Gale could be anywhere, but it was clear she was now being hunted.

"I know, I don't understand why he gets to have all the fun." Clove complained leaving Katniss confused.

"Such a shame, for someone from an out lining District he sure was cute." Glimmer murmured as Clove made a noise of disgust.

"Hardly. District Twelve is the worst." Clove stated with a shake of her head. Katniss stopped all together, her chest tight and painful. Cato had Gale.

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><p><strong>Authors note: So there we have it another chapter! It was interesting writing a bit of romance for the dark and dangerous duo, even though I love KatnissPeeta pairing. So hope you all like this Chapter! Bit more to come. Eeep! Any thoughts, I would love to hear them. I love reviews so go ahead! **

**Apologies for any glaring mistakes, as always!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: The finale **

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><p>Katniss turned on her heel and immediately started walking back to the cornucopia, to find Cato and Gale. Katniss could only hope that she wouldn't be too late, her only reprieve being that she hadn't heard the Canon since getting her hearing back.<p>

She walked quickly, there was only the Careers, plus her and Gale. The games would be over soon, and she would much rather kill herself that let Gale's fate be in Cato's hands.

Her body trembled from the pent up adrenaline, her mind replaying the beginning of the Games when Cato was chocking her with a wide grin on his face, then to Rue's death, as Marvel looked pleased with himself. The rage inside of her, from having to be in these Games and witness everything that she had, had reached a new high.

Katniss walked purposefully past the Cornucopia, listening out for anything and looking around herself. She easily found the first spot where Gale had set the fire, saw it blackened out before walking toward the next one, not that she knew where that was. She walked silently, listening intently and then she heard it, a groan.

Katniss tried to calm her ragged breathing, closing her eyes and sucking in deep silent breathes, before walking to the sound.

"You think you're so much better than me and everyone else don't you?" Cato snarled, kicking his leg out hard and hitting Gale in the ribs as he wheezed and spluttered, Katniss stood back and tried to reign in her panic, already Cato had beaten Gale to an impossible amount in the short time that they had been apart. Gale was on his knees; his hands had been tied tightly behind his back, his face multicoloured from the beatings – blood trickling from his nose.

"It was your idea wasn't it, to blow up the supplies!" Cato roared, punching Gale in the face nearly knocking him out, Gale fell to his side coughing and wheezing as Katniss watched in frozen panic.

"She's probably dead you know, your little girlfriend. If she isn't then she will be when Glimmer and Clove find her and bring her to me." Gale looked up from the ground and spat blood at Cato's shoes.

"I'm going to make this as slow as humanly possible for you." Cato muttered getting to his knees and grabbing Gale by his hair and smashing his head into the ground. Katniss heart ached at watching the immeasurable amount of cruelty Cato was inflicting on Gale. With nerves of steel, Katniss silently reached behind her and readied her bow.

Katniss breathed deeply aiming her arrow to Cato's back before realising there was something different, he wasn't wearing the uniform they were all wearing, it was a different variation to it, it looked like armour, she realised it must have been sent to him. Her eyes drifted lower and she saw that Gale had noticed her, saw him shake his head only very slightly before looking away. Katniss lowered her arrow, wondering what else she could possibly do. She startled when she heard the Canon.

"Do you know what I am going to do to her when I get her?" Cato asked, clearly not seeing the exchange between Gale and herself and ignoring the Canon altogether.

"I'm going to kill her slowly in front of you. I will cut her skin off, and I will make her wish she had never scored a ten." Cato spat out, getting to his feet and turning away from Gale, missing as Gale got to his own feet and ran at him tackling him hard with just his shoulder.

Katniss tensed briefly before running from her hiding spot, screaming when she felt a sharp object embedding itself into her thigh.

"Where do you think you're going?" Clove hissed a manic smile on her bloodied face.

Katniss whimpered before firing an arrow, missing Clove completely as the smaller girl laughed. Katniss fumbled with her arrows, before aiming to fire another as Clove shook her head and threw another small knife, hitting Katniss in the arm and making her drop her bow with another scream.

"Ah, now here is where the real fun begins." Cato called, and Katniss turned to him watching as he kicked Gale sharply in the head and knocking him out.

Katniss turned her attention to Clove as she viciously tore the small knife from her thigh, and then did the same to the one stuck in her arm. Katniss screamed from the pain, watching bleary eyed as Clove swung her fist and punched her in the temple, effectively knocking her out.

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><p>When Katniss next awoke, she was tethered back to back with Gale. She looked around herself and saw Cato and Clove eating all of their food with gusto, the arena was darkening and setting a chill in her bones. The anthem was already playing, and she caught the sight of Glimmer smiling widely in the sky. This was it, she realised. They would be killed. She couldn't save Rue, and now she couldn't even save Gale.<p>

"What are you doing here?" Gale asked her severely as Katniss flinched. Her head was pounding as was the pain in her arm and thigh.

"I wanted to save you." Katniss murmured as Gale sighed.

"You should have kept your promise Katniss, you should have saved yourself! Now neither of us will win!" Gale snapped angrily as Katniss leaned against him heavily.

"Would you have done that? Would have left me to die with Cato?" She asked him as he shook his head, his tense back momentarily relaxing against her own. Gales tethered hands found her own bound hands, and he gently tangled his fingers between hers, giving the digits a small squeeze.

"The love birds have awoken!" Cato announced. "I hope you're not having a lovers tiff. Your last hours should be precious." He mocked as Gale and Katniss glared at him. "I mean, this is a proud moment for you both. You made it this far! That's impressive. I mean, who did you even kill? We did most of the killing." Cato stated clapping his stained hands proudly as Katniss and Gale stared impassively at him. "I mean, we know who we didn't kill. Did you kill the little girl from eleven? That's amazing if you did." Katniss blood boiled, and she barely felt Gales own hand digging painfully into hers.

"So you plan to kill us." Katniss spat viciously as Cato looked at her in surprise. "Then what? Who kills who between you both?" Katniss continued as Cato seemed to ponder this, looking to Clove who smirked at them. Katniss looked closer at the girl from One, she was tiny in stature but very lean and muscular. She could be pretty, Katniss thought, if she wasn't so cruel looking or covered in Glimmers blood.

"Well that's simple." Cato began holding his hand out to Clove who took it and got to her feet, it was clear she had feelings for the boy, they watched as he gently caressed her face.

"We're not going to kill each other, we'll both get out of here and be victors. Otherwise we'll just kill ourselves." Cato crooned to the girl as she smiled up into his face. Katniss and Gale watched in silence as he spun her quickly so her back was to him before placing his hands either side of her head, twisting quickly and killing her.

Katniss gasped out a breath of panic, looking down at the crumpled form of Clove, her neck twisted awkwardly her widened eyes staring into Katniss'.

"Oh my god." Katniss moaned closing her eyes tightly as Cato burst into laughter, Gale squeezed her fingers tighter, shushing her gently.

"The dark and dangerous couple from Twelve? Really?!" He asked laughing all the harder. "Oh Katniss, there is only one winner. You both know that."

"You're sick." Gale spat out which sobered Cato immediately. Gale let go of Katniss' fingers and pulled on her restraints once feeling them slightly loose on her slender wrists, hoping she would realise what he had meant, when he felt her hands stiffen once before frantically pulling at the rope he nearly sighed in relief. It was clear that Cato had lost what little grip he had on reality and he needed Katniss far away from him, he needed Katniss to win, needed her to get home.

"You're delusional to think that you can come into these Games together, and save each other!" Cato screamed.

"Don't you think this is an unfair fight?" Katniss stated sucking in lungfuls of air glaring at Cato as he smirked.

"Even if I gave you your weapons, you wouldn't be able to kill me."

"You want to bet on that?" Gale growled as Cato scoffed.

"Just give me one arrow, its all I need." Katniss piped up all the while her hands worked quickly behind her back trying to free themselves from their tight restraints, her wrists were raw and slick with blood but she had managed it, she worked on Gale's restraints next.

The sound of a heavy footfall and a snapping branch shocked them all; they looked around themselves waiting for any intruders; Katniss hands had stilled on Gales wrists watching as Cato silently reached down for his long knife and holding it out protectively.

They stayed in silence for a moment longer, each listening. Cato dropped his weapon with a laugh.

"So where were we?" He asked turning back to them with a shrug, missing the lurching figure of Thresh who was hidden in the shadows of the wide tree's he held tightly his long dagger that Katniss had seen from before. Katniss gasped, was so sure that he had died but could see the blood soaking his shirt from his wound. Before Cato could even turn, Thresh was on him. Thresh pulled Cato's head back roughly, and just like before sliced along Cato's neck bathing them in blood.

Katniss got to her feet, the pain in her thigh long forgotten as she tried to pull Gale to his own feet and away from Thresh, who was clearly barely hanging on. Once Gale was to his feet and stumbling away, Katniss made a run for her bow and arrow as only her arms were free.

Cato fell to the floor making a wet gurgling sound before falling silent, his eyes staring unblinking to the darkening sky, the canon echoing once.

"Katniss." Gale hissed. Katniss turned her bow and arrow at the ready, nearly sobbing at the sight in front of her. Thresh had Gale in the same lock he had Cato in not ten seconds before, the bloody knife digging into his neck.

"No." Katniss begged nearly dropping her weapons as Thresh looked at her with a defeated look, muttered Rue's name once and sliced at Gale's neck. Katniss screamed and fired her bow, the arrow lodging deep into Thresh's skull, both boys crumpled to the floor as the canon fired once into the night.

Katniss threw herself to Gale, her weapons long forgotten and pushed her hands against his neck, her hands slipping against the wet warmth of his blood.

"You'll be okay!" Katniss wept as Gale opened his mouth to speak but only chocked on his blood instead. His hand freed itself's from under hers, blood gushing from the loss. A heavy hand hung limply into the air, before patting her cheek roughly, smearing and mixing his blood with Cato's before falling heavily to the ground.

"Please, you can't leave me. I love you." Katniss begged hysterically, the dark crimson blood coating her hands until she couldn't even see where his neck started and her hands begun.

The Canon firing was her only answer.

Katniss screamed over and over again, her hands slapping at Gales unmoving chest before turning her attention to Thresh, seeing the lodged arrow sticking from between his eyes. Katniss swallowed back the bile that was rising from inside of her, and numbly rested her head against Gale's chest. Not caring that his blood was soaking into her hair, she had enough blood from Cato coating her body.

Katniss didn't hear the announcement calling her the Victor, didn't hear anything. She just lay numbly on top of Gale, her hand gently stroking his cooling cheek.

When the hovercraft eventually came, she still did not move from her spot. Katniss would not leave Gale in this hell hole. They called from microphones telling her to move, but she did not listen. They could kill her right there and then and she wouldn't even care. It wasn't until she heard the voice of her mentor, Haymitch, in the background telling them to pick them both up that she realised they would be leaving the Arena. Katniss looked up, her hands tightly fisted into Gales shirt and watched as the metal claws came down and swooped them up and into the air.

When they were placed into the hover craft, people in white immediately converged to them, trying to pull Katniss away from Gale.

Katniss screamed and cried, spitting at anyone that came even remotely close.

"Stay away from us!" She screamed until her voice was raw.

Haymitch walked to her, his face pale and pensive his palms up and in surrender.

"Come on sweetheart." His gentle voice called to her and the dam broke.

She sobbed hysterically, cradling Gale to her and shaking her head. Haymitch slowly walked toward her pulling her arm gently, not expecting her small weight to propel into him, her hands slapping and clawing at any piece of his body before collapsing heavily into his arms, he gently lifted her damaged body up and cradled her thin body to his.

"I got you now, sweetheart." He crooned to her, as she softly beat at his chest in defeat.

* * *

><p>Time, to Katniss was an immeasurable thing. For most of her stay at the Capitol she had been sedated, as they pumped her body with medication and food for she refused to eat herself. Her only saving grace was Haymitch, who stood guard at her bed side. No one came to see her other than the Capitol doctors. Not even Effie who had cried and had begged to see her Victor had been allowed access. She was expected to have an aired interview with Ceaser Flickerman, that however, thanks to Haymitch had been called off. She hadn't spoken since the hovercraft had picked her and Gale up. Haymitch fought hard, stayed sober through out their stay. The media had relented, they had one small footage of her covered in blood emerging from the hovercraft in Haymitch's arms and another of her in the hospital wired to different machines. It would have to do, until she was well again they had said.<p>

That is how, Haymitch had said a month but already it had felt like a gruelling life time. They had spent their time in the Capitol, her silently wired to machines with him sat beside her, his hand securely holding onto hers.

Katniss was going home, Haymitch had told her, not that she gave any kind of response to her mentor. She thought of home without Gale there. They gave her a drug whilst in the Capitol, it made her numb. She couldn't cry when she thought of Gale, couldn't feel anything other than this deep ache that hurt with every breathe that she took. The numbing drug didn't take Gale from her memories, though sometimes she wished that it would especially when she would wake from the nightmares of his dead bloodied body.

Time was a very disjointed thing, she blamed the numerous drugs they had given her- one minute she was being dressed to board the train by a female doctor, the next she was on the train bed, the next they were passing through District 11, drawing in close to home. They hadn't given her any drugs to take home and already her body was shaking from the loss of the medication.

Katniss was propped by Haymitch, his arm securely around her thin waste as they stood on the platform of the station. "You're okay sweetheart. I'll get you home." Haymitch muttered, as Katniss' eyes flickered over the sombre welcoming group of her district in front of her. Katniss immediately found her family, and was surprised by how well they looked, they looked as if they had gained weight in the short amount of time she had been gone, unlike her wasting away body. Gale's mother and siblings were no where to be seen, not that she expected them to welcome her with widened arms. Katniss blinked slowly, the pain of the loss of Gale making a reappearance, the lack of medication not masking the sudden emotional pain.

Katniss' eyes immediately found Peeta's, saw him standing with her family, where Gale should have been and for the first time since Gale's death she felt a spark of something inside of her. A spark of anger.

"You!" She pointed him out, as everyone silently looked from their victor to the baker's boy who looked shocked. Katniss' voice was rough and it scratched with her heightened anger.

"Now, now sweetheart." Haymitch murmured making a grab for her wrist as she impatiently shrugged him off.

"What are you doing with my family?" She asked coldly as the boys cheeks flushed pink and he began stammering. "It's all your fault!" Katniss screamed, running down from the podium and lunging for him as Haymitch easily caught her around the middle as she withered and screamed hysterically. Her family flinched away from her feral behaviour, her mother and sister both with tears running down their pale faces.

"It's his fault! Damn you!" Katniss sobbed as Haymitch pulled her away as the crowed murmured, watching as the broken girl was carried away and toward the Victors Village.

Haymitch sedated her as soon as they were away from the prying eyes of Twelve, he hated having to do it, but knew there would be no other way. He carried her limp thin body into her new home and placed her gently onto the soft sofa, draping a blanket over her body and rubbing at his eyes tiredly.

"What's wrong with her?" Peeta asked softly as Katniss' family rushed into the house letting him in, he asked the question genuinely and generally but it was Haymitch who answered.

"You have no idea the things she has been through." Haymitch muttered, casting a dark look over to Katniss' mother.

"I don't know what's happened since she's been away, but you really thought it would be a good idea to invite him." Haymitch pointed a finger at Peeta. "To be there at the train station? He's a trigger for her."

Katniss' mother looked down at her wringing hands. "You don't understand, Peeta had given us bread and food, kept us and Gale's family alive whilst they were in the Games." She stated glaring at the usually drunk mentor.

"I'm in love with her. I have been since the moment I saw her." Peeta said earnestly as Haymitch pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I don't care! She's not the same girl that left for the Games. She most certainly does not want to hear that from you either, kid!" Haymitch took a deep breathe watching as the young boy looked down to his feet and nodded his head ashamed. Haymitch shook his head and lead them into the kitchen, the layout was exactly the same as his own home and he found it difficult not to act as if it was his own house.

"None of you saw what it was like for her not really, and you didn't see what I saw when they sent the hovercraft in to retrieve her. She would not let go of Gale, not for one second, she screamed and she fought with everything that she had – just so she wouldn't be separated from him. You didn't see what she looked like. I don't think I will ever get that sight from my head. I don't think I have ever seen that much blood and I have been in the Games." Haymitch stated quietly as Katniss' mother cried silently into her hand and Peeta looked away.

"Something broke when she killed that girl by accident, then something bigger did when Rue died. Now? With the loss of Gale on top of all of that. I don't think she's ever going to come back from that." Haymitch murmured, his concern over the hard now vulnerable young girl made his old heart ache.

"So what do we do?" Peeta asked quietly as Haymitch leant back against the wall.

"Nothing, you keep your distance." Haymitch stated giving Peeta a meaningful stare. "You let her do what ever she wants to do." This was added to Katniss' mother who nodded her head. "Until next year, where she will be a mentor." Haymitch scowled to himself as he said that, he tried desperately as Katniss was being treated at the Capitol to plead her case, that she was mentally unfit like Annie Cresta from District Four, that she couldn't possible mentor the Games. That he would continue to do it in her place, but it was denied each and every time. Haymitch could only wonder to himself that if Katniss did make a recovery- just how long would it last after she had to watch her tributes die and not be able to do anything about it.

With terrible thoughts of the Capitol in his mind, and the vulnerable girl sedated in a peaceful sleep, Haymitch walked back to his own house with thoughts of how wonderful a revolution would be right now.

* * *

><p><strong>Authors note: Oh my god! There we have it, done, finito! Eep, don't hate me! Poor Gale, poor Katniss! Did ya'll like it? I am thinking of writing a sequel, already got some ideas that differ a lot to the original - but I would love to hear your thoughts?! Thank you for reading, and reviewing it is greatly appreciated! <strong>


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